Kumasi
(Ashanti Region) 23 December 2002 - Worried Kumasi Asante
Kotoko fans who have not spared any second to wonder whether their hardworking
CEO Herbert Mensah will hang on the position for the 2003 season can rest
assured that the fighting warrior will hang on in as far as it pleases the
spiritual head of the club, the Asantehene Otumfuo
Osei Tutu II.
This should
settle once and for all fears that Herbert would not be seen on board for the
coming season. Of course there were adequate reasons to express concern and
indeed anxiety about Herbert’s future with Kotoko. The relationship between the
CEO and some of the board members had been anything but harmonious as suspicion
and mistrust characterized their very existence.
Indeed some
board members had threatened that either they stayed on and Herbert left or
vice versa. Herbert had not been amused about some of the developments and had
openly stated if that was the wish of some of these board members, 8 December
was going to be his last day in Kotoko as CEO. Everything however depended on
the Asantehene’s wishes and commands.
Last week Manhyia issued a statement through the Personal Assistant
to the Otumfuo, Kofi Owusu, reaffirming their confidence
in the Herbert administration and lambasted those who have developed a
gargantuan appetite of finding fault even where none exists to come forward
with the facts or forever hold their peace.
The rabble
rousers and detractors are dared, let them emerge with
hard evidence of malfeasance on the part of the Herbert administration. The
half-truths, naked lies, insinuations and pure libelous write-ups serve no
purpose as the Asantehene Osei Tutu II himself has given the administration the
nod to continue with their good works which must be obvious to all fair-minded
sports fans.
Herbert has
responded to Otumfuo’s declaration of confidence in
him by laying the foundation for an even stronger Kotoko in 2003. he is keeping his cards close to his chest on which new
players his administration intends to sign for the 2003 season but hints they
will not be more than “fine top ones.”
Besides the
Manhyia factor, Herbert has been most impressed by
the unflinching support offered him by the club’s followers, one group of
supporters he describes as the greatest in the world. These loyal supporters
led by distinguished ones like Assad Mallah, I.J. Moukarzel, Peter
Pepera and many others continued to assure Herbert of their unalloyed support
and the need to complete his good works.
Herbert
could not see himself disappointing all these loyal supporters by simply
walking away. He is humbled by their loyalty which manifests itself through
financial contributions and massive patronage of the club’s matches. The
questions must cease now, the anxieties swept away- Herbert ain’t
quitting now. – Culled from
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Warri (
Each
player was given $1,500, which covers the preliminary matches. The
Officials
could not say when it would be paid neither could they come out with a special
package for the
GRi…/
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Cape Coast (Central
Region) 23 December 2002 - Harry Zakkour Babies beat Odomankoma
Stars 2-0 to lift the central region under "17" colts championship
cup in their final match played at the Cape Coast sports stadium on Saturday.
By this victory,
Zakkour Babies will represent the region in the forthcoming inter regional
In a fast and
uncompromising match, both teams entertained the sparse crowd to copy book
soccer and ended the first half, scoreless.
The second half saw
both teams struggling hard for the winner but Zakkour Babies had the edge in
attack, and opened the scoring through outside left Francis Adams, in the 55th
minute.
Infuriated by this
goal, Odomankoma threw everything into attack and
kept their opponents under persistent pressure but could not break their
opponents’ ironclad defence.
In the 70th
minute, Odomankoma Stars, made some changes to
revitalise the team but that did not deter Zakkour Babies from adding another
goal through inside left, Abeka Obosu,
to make victory certain.
Meanwhile, Paa Lewis, chairman of the regional colts association, has
appealed to the central regional minister, Isaac Edumadze, Christine Churcher,
MP for
Forster Asante Mireku, founder of Zakkour
Babies, expressed the club's preparedness to win the national
GRi…/
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Ajumako (Greater
Accra)
John Amoah, Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District Education Directorate
Sports Organiser, told the GNA Sports at the weekend that six disciplines would
be competed for during the festival.
They are athletics,
football, table tennis, volleyball, soccer and Netball adding that the District
Chief Executive, Kenneth Obempong would open the
week-long festival.
GRi…/
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Mankessim (Central
Region)
Stars of
From kick off, Mfantseman United took control of the game and scored an
early goal in the 5th minute through centre half, James Beduson.
Undaunted by this
early lead, the visitors gradually warmed themselves into the game and
following incessant raids in their opponents' vital area,
they succeeded in levelling up the scores through a goal scored by outside
left, Emmanuel Karr to end the first half.
On resumption of
play, the game became a ding-dong battle and when all things pointed to a draw
game, right half back, Kweku Brenya scored the match
winner for Mfantseman United in the 87th minute. The
visitors made several efforts to equalise but they could not find the net until
full time.
GRi…/
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Never mind thy
succumbed 0-2 to the Super Falcons of Nigeria in the grand finale of the Africa
Women’s championship with lethal aplomb. The Black Queens did more than enough
during the fourteen days of the championship to deepen their credentials as one
of Africa’s fiercest soccer forces and also to remind the rest of the continent
that whoever writes off Ghana does so as one of Africa’s fiercest soccer forces
and also to remind the rest of the continent that whoever writes off Ghana does
so at their own peril.
Of course the Black
Queens had earlier defeated the Nigerians at the Group stage to become the
first side in
It was a sharp
reminder to the Nigerians that gone are the days when they could trample on the
It was just right
that captain Alberta Sackey and her
Many would not
accept his explanation. He vowed to let his work and results do the talking. Today,
he stands vindicated. I only hope his assailants would eat humble pie and
congratulate him for making us all proud.
The Queens have
every right to celebrate in style and hope they would be rewarded by the FA in
a manner truly befitting
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